I’m sorry if this pisses people off, but the ideology of libertarianism, one that emphasizes the singular over the whole, to the detriment of the whole, is the political ideology of those who are not ready for political prime time. And I say this as someone who once had greater libertarian tendencies, so I feel I’m as qualified as anyone else to render this verdict.

Have you noticed that a national conversation about the National Security Agency (NSA) has commenced over the past two months? And even many who dismiss leaker Edward Snowden as a traitor, or a coward, agree we need to take a closer look at what the NSA does, and what it should be allowed to do.

Democrats will need to go above and beyond to be trusted when it comes to their opinion on the NSA leak by Edward Snowden. What do I mean by that? With a Democrat in the White House, I don’t trust Democrats who say Snowden is a traitor. Similarly, I don’t trust Republicans, particularly libertarians, who say Snowden is a patriot or a hero.

As a liberal I can agree with libertarians on some social issues. Libertarians, at least true libertarians, would not want government telling women what to do with their bodies. Libertarians also tend to see the nonsense that is the war on drugs, particularly when it comes to marijuana. And as a liberal I feel strongly about person freedom and civil liberties, but I also recognize the role that government can play as an extension of the community. If institutions like government aren’t working it’s our job to make them work, not rebel against them. I believe a fundamentalist libertarian worldview is untenable on a hot and crowded planet of 7 billion people.